Workshops folk and traditional dance with Elena

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References from the past

It is with great pleasure and enthusiasm that I give weekly folk dancing classes, and dance workshops in Belgium, France, Germany, Poland … since 2012. These dance courses can take the format of a few hours, a day, a weekend, or a week, depending on the needs of the organiser and the topic chosen.

I work with recorded music, or with live musicians, with or without a dance partner depending on the situation.

Here is a very complete description that you can read or fly over. Do not hesitate to contact me to discuss your needs and choices.

Whatever the subject, I will combine learning or going deeper in a repertoire, dancing technique, the relationship between music and dance, and pleasure. If the number of participants allows it, dancers will receive individual feedback and corrections.

For whom ?

Topics (and level)

« General » Folk

• Introduction do dances of the folk ball (*)
• Musicality for dancers : various subjects for dancers of various levels. Quite flexible depending on the length of the workshop.
• Trad’ hints for musicians : for musicians who wish to play the tunes « right » for dancers (rhythm, groove, accents, difference between different kinds of bourrées, how to make the difference between a waltz, a mazurka and a bourrée 3t, between an andro and a scottish, etc. etc. Quite flexible depending on the length of the workshop.
• Mixers: a selection of easy, intermediate and difficult mixers from different origins (see more at the end of this page)

« Breathing circles »

• A selection of circle dances that have a « breathing » characteristic :
  Rond de Saint Vincent, Ronde du Quercy, Rond d’Argenton, Rond de Barbâtre, Brande d’Ardentes (bourrée en cercle)
  This is a very lovely workshop for festivals, as we rapidly touch on dances from different regions, most of which are now played by many musicians.

Couple dances

• Scottish: basics (*), figures (**), rhythmic variations (**/***)
• Mazurka: basics (*), figures (**), rhythmic variations (**/***), irregular mazurkas (**/***)
• Waltz: basics (*/**), how to turn and advance (**/***), figures (**/***), rhythmic variations (**/***)
• Irregular waltzes (**/***)  (understanding the music, basic steps, variations)
• Irregular rhythms all over! (**/***) (Irregular mazurka, scottish impaire, irregular waltzes … & variations)
• Composed dances (***) (Mazurka-waltz, Scottish-waltz, Waltz3t-Waltz5t, … + how to smoothly glide from one to the other)
• « Frame Games » for Scottish & Mazurka (***) = different surprises you can work into your dance, as follower OR as leader
• A mix or selection between some of these themes, according to the needs of participants / organizer

The Waltz (3 t)

• Workshop « The waltz of yesterday and today » – a journey through the waltz from Vienna to today. (** / ***)
  This workshop is suitable for a weekend or a longer period of time, works best for people who already have a good level in at least one type of waltz.
  In a long format, we can address folk waltz, Vienna, musette, criollo, Swedish, Boston; and possibly irregular waltzes.
  For a one-day format, the content will be chosen with & adapted to the public.

Bourrées

As often as possible, I go to France, to train with masters such as Hughes Rivière and Bernard Coclet (Berry-Bourbonnais), in Les Brayauds training centre (Auvergne), with Gilles Lauprêtre (Berry & Limousin), Denis Mercader (Aubrac …), Laurent Balabau (all styles), Edith Maricot (Berry, Auvergne) … Bourrées are one of my favourite subjects.

• Introduction: the different types of bourrée (2t and 3t Berry-Bourbonnais, Auvergne, Limousin … comparison with Marchoise) (** / ***)
  (This can be seen as preamble to a specific workshop, or as a workshop in itself)
• Bourrées droites :
  • Discovery (*/**)
  • Going further, specific techniques, working on style (**/***)
  • Choreographies for bourrées droites (2 or 3 t) – medium difficulty (**) or higher difficulty (***)
  • Brande d’Ardentes (also called « Bourré en cercle ») the « right way » (i.e. a breathing circle with strong community feeling)
• Bourrée auvergnate:
  • Discovery (*/**)
  • Going further, specific techniques, working on style (**/***)
  • Going even further, various forms of the dance, frappés, la giate … (***)
  • Collective bourrées auvergnates (**/***) for 3, 4 or 6 dancers

Sud-Ouest (dances from the South-West of France)

This is another repertoire I love very much, and I don’t miss a chance to meet and learn from various teachers in France and elsewhere.

• Sud-Ouest: Basic steps and physicality & Rondeau en couple (*/**)
• Sud-Ouest: Rondeau en couple & variations ; Ronde du Quercy ; Rondeau en chaîne & variations (**/***)
• Sud-Ouest: Rondeau en chaîne & games & variations (**/***)
• Sud-Ouest: Easy congos for 2 to 8 dancers (*/**)
• Sud-Ouest: Congo de Captieux, and other congos (**/***)
• Sud-Ouest: Branle d’Ossau en chaîne (***) & rhythmic variations (***)
• or a different combination of basic steps, attitude & dances, depending on length of workshop

Sauts basco-béarnais

These sauts (« jumps ») are danced individually on a big circle with a lot of collective energy. Some relatively simple, but soon you will need to remember « commands » given in a foreign language (Elena will use the béarnaise terminology rather than the basque) to execute diverse steps.

• Simple sauts (*/**)
• More complicated sauts (**/***)
• All of this with or without singing the corresponding songs (with « commands »)

Fandango + Arin Arin / Carnaval de Lantz

These are very energetic dances from the Basque region, some considered rather difficult.

• Fandango (**/***) + Arin Arin (**) will usually be taught together, as they will always be danced together. Consider that this will take quite some time. It can also be split into one longer and one shorter workshop.
• Carnaval de Lantz without or with the waltz part (**/***)
• A mix of these dances, more or less in detail depending on the time at our disposal

Dances from the Poitou-Vendée region

A collection of rather energetic dances, usually collective, and often with singing.

• Avant-deux (many different; with or without variations and different steps) (*/**/***)
• Cercles et chants à danser (Circle dances, some with singing) (*/**/***)
• Maraîchine (simple form, or with variations) (*/**/***)
• Marchoises (**/***)
• Bal Limousine (*/**/***)
• A mix of several of these dances (*/**/***)

Mixers / Collective dances

In these collective dances in circles, lines, double circles, quadrettes … dancers continually change partners, allowing everyone to meet everyone. The best known in the folk ball are the Circassian circle and the Chappelloise, but there are so many others! Often treated « sloppily » in the ball, working on one’s technique can considerably improve the comfort and therefore the pleasure in these dances.

• Easy mixers & technique (*/**)
• Going further in your mixers & more figures, different dances and technique (**/***)

Dances of the « bal musette » (Bals in Paris from the 1880s)

• Short workshop (min 2h) which will only cover the waltz musette, the java, plus 1 – 2 other dances (* / ** / ***)
• Longer workshop with more dances, techniques, and variations (* / ** / ***)

I sometimes work with a musette orchestra, and we offer different formulas based on the following:

• Workshop dances of the Bal musette (with or without live music)
• Concert of “chansons réalistes”
• A bal musette (with or without dance animation, with or without live music)

Enhancing general dancing skills – sensory and physical development

• Interior dynamics (*/**/***)
• Couple dynamics (*/**/***)
• Dynamics of the group and the dance floor (*/**/***)

These three workshops are intended for dancers of all levels – beginners to advanced. Indeed, these are topics & exercises a dancer can approach, and repeat at any time in their development. The first part (internal dynamics) has lots of exercises on the floor. They can be seen independently or as three parts of the same workshop (minimum 2 days).

Workshops I would need to brush up before giving it again :

• Latin variations for the scottish (**/***) (= techniques and figures borrowed from Latin American dances)
• Tango elements for Mazurka
• Tango elements for 8-time waltz